This is a method relating to the use of the visual detection of a target and a proportional control law to guide an unmanned underwater vehicle into a contact for docking. It is capable of self-adjusting the gains used for the unmanned underwater vehicle's steering based on the multiplication of the existing gain by a unique and novel learning function developed for this application.
Physically connecting an unmanned underwater vehicle with an undersea station is a fundamental challenge associated with autonomous undersea vehicle to vehicle docking and transfers. This invention addresses this problem using a vision based steering behavior to enable the autonomous docking of an unmanned undersea vehicle with other unmanned undersea vehicles or undersea stations.